20 Truths about Rikkai
by The Dream Whisperer
Summary: There are things that they know about each other; things they don't speak about because there never is a need to. Being a Rikkai team means understanding each other without words. YagyuuNiou, with implications of SanadaAtobe. Part of my PoT continuity.


**20 Truths about Rikkai that They Will Never Speak About   
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**Characters/Pairings:** Rikkai, Niou/Yagyuu, mentioned Sanada/Atobe  
**Rating:** G  
**Words:** 645  
**Summary:** There are things that they know about each other; things they don't speak about because there never is a need to. Being a Rikkai team means understanding each other without words.

1. None of them are perfectly sane, or even perfect in any way. Even Yukimura is flawed. Everyone knows everyone else's faults, but they do not berate each other for it; they cover each other's faults.

2. The whole Rikkai team is like a doubles pair in that way – pieces of jigsaw fitting with each other. Some pieces fit together with some other pieces better, and some pieces – those on the edge – join with others outside the team. But they will always remain a _team_ - this will never change.

3. Yukimura, Yanagi, and Yagyuu will always be underestimated. They are also the most dangerous.

4. Marui's stamina is as good as the rest of the team's (except Jackal). He chews gum during matches because he _wants_ to, not because he _has_ to.

5. Niou and Yagyuu are in love, and will most likely always be in love. But they are not sappy or even romantic with each other. They are _Niou_ and they are _Yagyuu_ and when you know someone well enough to play them so perfectly that most of your team are fooled… you don't need flowers or chocolates to profess love.

6. Yagyuu is the most dangerous of that pair – he is ruthless like a lioness, chasing down prey single-mindedly and relentlessly. Niou likes to play with his food – the food sometimes bites back.

7. Niou was surprised beyond words when Yagyuu agreed to lose, but when he watches Yagyuu play, he _sees_. There is perfection in failure, a victory in a loss.

8. Akaya's senpais love the stupid seaweed head, but there are some things that must be sacrificed for a victory. They'll buy him yakiniku and take him to the arcade later; victory comes before innocence.

9. Sanada worries that one day Akaya would keep winning and then lose interest in the game. He doesn't want that for Akaya: tennis is the boy's only passion – it wouldn't do for him to lose it.

10. Yagyuu and Akaya are remarkably similar: they play tennis not for _tennis_, but for the victory.

11. Sometimes Yanagi picks up the phone and stares at it for a long moment before placing it back in its cradle with a sigh. Yukimura thinks he is an idiot; Sanada concurs.

12. Yanagi is the greatest idiot in the team, and Yukimura always has an urge to kick him over the head and ask him to 'kiss and make up' with that Sadaharu of his already.

13. Sanada has one hell of a crush on Atobe, which may or may not be reciprocated.

14. Yukimura thinks that both of his best friends are idiots, but he doesn't help them. He wants them to help themselves.

15. Jackal is the kindest person on the team. This does not mean that he doesn't like crushing his opponents.

16. Niou slapped Sanada because he is the only one who would, who _could_. He knows that Sanada blames himself, and if slapping the idiot is the only way Niou can show him that he isn't to be blamed… so be it.

17. Yukimura-buchou is their greatest inspiration, greatest motivator and the leader they know they don't deserve.

18. Yukimura knows that he is his team's cornerstone. That is why he will never forgive himself for collapsing and abandoning them.

19. His team will never forgive him either; they had never blamed him in the first place.

20. Jackal knows these: that Marui likes the boy from Hyoutei; that Akaya is not childish; that Yagyuu and Niou are separate and yet the same; that sometimes they need Yukimura to tell themselves apart; that Sanada, Yanagi and Yukimura need each other like an inverted triangle; that without Yukimura, Sanada and Yanagi will crumble and take the team with them. He knows all these, but he does not speak of them. He doesn't need to.

_End_


End file.
